


The Winter That Changed it All

by Storm_Sunset



Category: Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-12 00:21:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19120747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storm_Sunset/pseuds/Storm_Sunset
Summary: I remember it so clearly, it was a particularly harsh winter. The feed was running low, the snow kept blowing in from the north, and we were running out of firewood. I know what you're thinking, "why not go and chop more wood?", we live on a prairie, there aren't many trees around. Our spirits were near broken, and the cold mistress was winning her game. My brother and I had to choose, the two of us head west to the forest for more wood, or east to the town for food? It during our travels that I saw her.





	The Winter That Changed it All

“Look, the stallion is back.”

The boy sitting in the window looked up at his mother’s words. Sure enough, the palomino stallion was appearing over the hill. With the beautiful morning sun, he was twice as stunning; he could clearly see his healthy girth and flax mane. The wild thing trotted a beautiful gait, head high to the sky as he searched for food in the deep snow.

He scoffed and returned to his book; it was more captivating to him. The world went out of focus as he read, page after page he flipped. Kenno quite enjoyed reading, he wasn't as strong as his brother or father, but as long as he had a book, he didn't mind.

Soon a harsh tap hit his shoulder.

“Kenno! Mama wants you to go feed the hens before dinner,” his sister ordered with a bossy undertone.

Angered at being interrupted, he closed the book. He looked at his sister, older by two years, and huffed a reply, “Fine.”

The girl smiled triumphantly, “And don’t forget to lock up the feed this time, we don’t need any more food going to waste in the hard times.”

“I did lock it up!” Kenno angrily growled, pulling his heavy coat on.

He really did secure the bin last time, but that damn horse still got into it. If it wasn't for their dogs, Cow, Pig, and Goat, scaring him away he most definitely would've eaten it all. His dog, Cow, was a border collie, with an unusual half-length tongue, and an ugly torn face, but he was his dog. The collie was their herding dog, for when they have sheep in the spring through fall, but he occasionally herded the chickens around too.

When the door opened, his collie sprang up and hurried after him. The other two dogs slid out of the house too, but Kenno didn't really care.

"You watched me lock it, as you do every day. Stupid nag always causing trouble," His complaints fell on deaf ears. But it didn't stop him.

Effortlessly the hens were walking around their run, protected from the weather and hungry predators. He, on the other hand, struggled with carrying the bucket in deep snow. Even the dog loped around easily, doing his job; looking for anything that may harm the birds. So Kenno tried to do his, feeding them, but he couldn't get the door open. It was frozen shut, ice covered the frame of the run, and it fused the door.

"I hate winter!" The boy screamed at the ice, "It's cold, it makes everything so much harder, I can't even read outside for long!"

The hens scattered from his voice, causing the collie to go into herding mode. His swift legs carried him along the run, barking soft woofs to get the birds under control.

All the commotion brought the other dogs over, and they only made worse. Chickens were running around while the dogs barked at them through the fence. The boy was too angry to calm the animals down, instead, he threw the corn through the fence to feed them. As he did the dogs went silent.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area with a slow and worried look. There was no reason for the dogs to hush like that.

Without so much as a growl, the stout dog lunged. She landed on something that let out a god forbidden squeal. The sound was of pain and surprise, but Kenno could not spot what it was. His dog stalked carefully towards the fight, eyeing the scene.

When he managed a glimpse of the mystery animal, his blood ran cold. An opossum had the dog by the snout, snarling viciously, head shaking, blood running down its throat. The dog was also very close to being clawed in the jugular, and she was starting to panic. Her head thrashed and she whined; her blood splattering the snow.

Frozen in fear, the boy was unable to help the poor dog, luckily for Pig, the big mutt Goat wasn't happy with the opossum. The big shaggy brown dog raced over, letting out his own snarl as he tore into the critter's back. The vile creature let go of the snout it was holding on to, hissing a violent complaint. The mutt shook his head vigorously, growling and snarling like a rabid wolf.

While its death was swift, merciful it was not. With its back torn, the head crushed, and organs hanging out, it was safe to say, the critter was lifeless. The dogs sniffed the dead thing, but Kenno finally gained his senses.

"Don't eat it!" He cried out, crawling through the snow to get over to them, "Good dogs, good boy Goat! Good eye Pig!" His hands patted the mutt, and gently rubbed the stout dog's head.

With a whistle, he headed back towards the house. Pig needed attention, bad. The dogs followed, happy from the praising.

"What on God's green Earth was all that commotion?" His dad barked at him when he walked in.

"A possum, it was near the chickens... Pig and Goat killed it though, but Pig really needs help."

"A possum? In the winter?" His mother asked, concerned.

The boy nodded but, before he could reply, his older brother rushed into the main room.

"Did you say a possum? Mama, we could eat it!"

Their father looked at Pig's wounds, before grunting. "What if it was rabid? They may be nasty critters, but they normally wouldn't attack a pack of dogs."

Kenno knew his brother would suggest eating it, their food was dangerously low right now. His father was right though, and he knew it. Plus...

"There might not even be much to cook, Goat tore him apart."

"I can cook the guts, it's not the best tasting, but in a stew, it's not terrible." His mother commented.

Before he knew it, he was going back outside to grab the vile corpse. It was already cooled, and the bloodstained snow was frozen in a strange bowl shape. Sighing, he grabbed the opossum's body, wrapping the bloody intestines around it. They were very clear about getting **everything.**

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, before the sun had ever risen, his brother woke him up. His complaints were ignored, and his brother further bothered him. Finally, he sat up.

"What do you want?" Kenno groaned.

His brother scowled at him, "Dad wants us."

That woke him up immediately, he quickly got up and followed his brother into the main room. Sure enough, their father sat in the chair. He looked, distraught.

"I got him, dad."

"Thank you, Cain. Kenno, I've been thinking. I want you two to head out for supplies, now, your mother wants food. Your sister thinks you should get food and some wood. Ultimately it's up to you, but, I know we're lower on wood than food."

The younger boy gave a nod, "Do you want us to leave now?"

"Yes, the sun will be up soon. Oh, and bring Goat with you."

“Don’t you need him here?” Cain asked curiously.

The man stood, going to the stove, “We will be fine, I have my rifle. There are plenty critters out there even in winter.”

With a nod, he went to find the mutt. Careful not to wake his sister, the boy slid into the room. He, his brother, and his sister shared one bedroom, while his parents shared the other.

Spotting the dog he whispered a soft "come here", and waved him over. The muttered followed him out sleepily, stretching and yawning when they got into the main room.

"Kenno, remember; that dog will hunt things to eat. Do not waste your food on him." The stern warning from his father sounded.

"Yes sir," He replied.

As the sun began to poke above the horizon, the two brothers were sent off. They trekked through the snow, both pulling a small wood sled behind them. The mutt was trotting ahead, scouting their path out. About, ten yards or so from the house Kenno stopped.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Maybe for wood, if dad knows we have less wood than food, then we should get wood first," His brother replied.

Nodding, he resumed walking. West they would go then. Away from the rising sun, and towards the woodlands.  

It had been two hours before they finally stopped and took a rest. Sitting on a group of large rocks, the two drank some water and caught their breath. It had been extremely slow going in the deep snow, but Kenno was struggling more than Cain. He knew he was slowing down his brother, but his brother insisted it was fine. 

As they sat there, silently resting, their mutt began to growl a low growl. Concerned, Cain grabbed his collar. 

"See anything?" His brother quietly asked.

"Just snow..." He whispered, only as soon as he said that he spotted it. 

The palomino stallion was walking through the snow, not even all that far from them. His muscles flexed as he stepped high over the snow, his ears twitched and flicked. Surely it knew the brothers and dog were there. 

Uncertain, Kenno looked at his brother. His brother shrugged lightly and let go of Goat. The dog immediately took off towards the horse, which turned to look at him. Before either of the boys could react, the stallion let out a harsh whinny and stopped the mutt dead in its tracks.

Stunned into quiet awe, the boys watched the horse approach and sniff the dog. After a few moments of sniffing, the horse gave a soft nicker and resumed on its path. Goat seemed confused, he'd never seen a horse before, but his tail wagged slightly. Then he came back to the rock.

"That stallion is so beautiful..." Cain quietly muttered. 

"He's a pain in the ass," Kenno corrected his brother, standing up. "We should keep going, best if this trip only takes a couple of days and not a few." 

His brother nodded and got up, putting their water away. It was still far, but at a reasonable pace, it should only take half a day to reach the forest. Sun on their backs, a faint brisk breeze stinging their faces, and sleds in tow, they followed their mutt onwards. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and simple, setting the pace for the rest of the chapters. I do like time jumps, I'm not sorry about it either.


End file.
